text: A construct in chemistry is molecular symmetry, as embodied in Group theory. Inorganic compounds display a particularly diverse symmetries, so it is logical that Group Theory is intimately associated with inorganic chemistry. Group theory]provides the language to describe the shapes of molecules according to their point group symmetry.  Group theory also enables factoring and simplification of theoretical calculations.
  Spectroscopic features are analyzed and described with respect to the symmetry properties of the, inter alia, vibrational or electronic states. Knowledge of the symmetry properties of the ground and excited states allows one to predict the numbers and intensities of absorptions in vibrational and electronic spectra.  A classic application of group theory is the prediction of the number of C-O vibrations in substituted metal carbonyl complexes.  The most common applications of symmetry to spectroscopy involve vibrational and electronic spectra.
  Group theory highlights commonalities and differences in the bonding of otherwise disparate species.  For example, the metal-based orbitals transform identically for WF and W(CO), but the energies and populations of these orbitals differ significantly.  A similar relationship exists CO and molecular beryllium difluoride.